Nor Cal / Nev College Ministries

Introduction

In Lesson 7, we stated that the ideal model for discipleship is accomplished in the srnall group context, from which we then undergird with 1-to-I discipleship. Lessons 7, 8, and 9 focused upon the biblical example and practical skills of small group discipleship. Small group discipleship is primary. Secondary to it, but also essential, is time spent 1-to-1 between the discipling leader and the new disciple.

Many questions can be raised concerning 1-to-1 discipleship.

• What should occur during these times?

• What do we talk about?
• How can this time be spent in a quality manner?

Answering these questions and teaching skills of 1-to-1 discipleship are the goals of this lesson.

A Strategy for 1-to-1 Discipleship

Build a trust-filled relationship

As stated many times already, discipleship flows from a relational context. No place is this more obvious than sitting in the student union face to face with the new disciple. What is needed in building relationship in the small group is absolutely necessary in 1-to-1. Therefore, do more in-depth personal history sharing. Learn as much as you can about the person, while at the same time letting him know you more fully. Since one of the strengths of i-to-I time is that it can be more intimate, then work to build this strength.

Spend time in the beginning stages just doing more history-giving. Loving is built on knowing. This demands openness on your part. In this way you are expressing trust in the person and showing that you care. Do all you can (from your side) to build a trust-filled relationship.

Teach them how to study the Bible

One of the most important skills you can pass on to a new believer is the ability to study the Word of God. Study goes beyond devotional reading. Do all you can to develop 2 Timothy 2:15 in the disciple, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

Obviously, an entire course on Biblical interpretation cannot be laid out here. You will find a guide to reference materials in the annotated bibliography for biblical interpretation. However, let us highlight some goals of Bible study and a simple skill that you can teach 1-to-I.

1. Three Components Of Any Good Bible Study Method

The primary goal for the study of Scripture is to arrive at the meaning of the passage. This meaning needs to be discovered in three stages:

a. Observation
This always occurs first. One seeks to discover the facts and struc­ture of the passage in order to lay a foundation for interpretation.

b. Interpretation
Here we intend to answer the question, "What did this passage mean to the first readers?" What was the purpose of writing for the author?

c. Application
This is a process where the meaning of the passage to thefirst readers is then translated into our present day situation. It answers the question, "What does this passage mean to me?"

Our first aim in biblical interpretation is to determine the meaning which the author intended to communicate to his audience. Therefore, the meaning of a passage must be something the original readers could have understood. Stated differently, a biblical text cannot mean today what it could not have meant when it was written.

Only after we have a good idea of what the text meant can we go on to see what the text means for us today.

2. A Bible Study Tool

PROAPT is an acrostic that stands for:

Pray, Read, Observe, Apply, Pray, Tell

The PROAPT model is adapted from Discipling Ministries Seminar, Barnabas, Inc. Used by permission, 1991.

Pray
Quiet yourself before the Lord prior to going to his Word. This can be a short time of prayer or lengthy. Be sure to include this as a part of this prayer time: "Dear Lord, please speak to me from your Word and by your Spirit today."

Read
Read the passage aloud. If possible, read the passage in different translations. Make every effort to involve as many of the senses as possible. For some creative ideas see Roberta Hestenes' book, Using the Bible in Groups.

Observe
Now is the time to write down all that you can observe from the text. In your observation, answer some of the following questions.

• Who are the people mentioned, where does this passage happen, when did it occur?

• What literary constructions are significant, i.e., repetitions, comparisons and contrasts, verb tenses, cause and effect?
• What kind of literature is this, i.e., history, teaching material, poetry, prophecy, parable?
• What do the words mean? Look up important words in a dictionary and substitute the definition for the word and reread the passage.
• Is there any progression or logical development of significance in this passage?
• What is the main point of this passage?
• What did the first readers understand in their context?

It may help to outline the passage, or paraphrase the passage, trying to maintain the meaning but using your own words.

Apply
Here it is time to bridge the gap between the "there and then" and the "here and now". Ask these kind of questions here:

• What issues does this passage raise which are still issues today?
• What does this passage say about my relationship with God and with other people, about sin in my life and about my attitudes?
• How can I apply this within the next two days?
• What behavior does this passage call for that I am not now doing?

Application is the most difficult part of any Bible study method to master. We tend to make applications that are generalized wishes or hopes. We often come away from the biblical text with unmeasureable goals or goals too large to see daily growth. It takes real effort, but we must chop up the gigantic applications into bite-size chunks. In application, above all, be specific!

Take the following example: "Lord I want to be more disciplined in my Bible study." While admirable there are no objective criteria with which progress can be measured. Break it down like: "Lord, in an effort to become more disciplined in my personal Bible study, I am committing to spend from 7:30 to 8:00 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays doing my PROAPTs through Phillippians."

Pray
Again, at this point, commit to Jesus your application and praise Him for speaking to you. If you wish, follow the prayer format listed on the PROAPT sheet.

Tell

Find a prayer partner, preferably someone in your small group. Let them know what Jesus is saying and doing in you. These can become some of the most quality times of your life.

One final recommendation. When PROAPTing build consistency by staying in the same Biblical book or on the same Biblical topic. A lifetime of consistent study will reap a bounty of fruit.

In teaching this skill, follow this procedure:

1. Demonstrate how to PROAPT in a 1-to-1 session.
2. Assign them to do three PROAPTs per week for the next two weeks.
3. Meet with them and go over their PROAPTs with them.
4. Point out areas needing development.
5. Make a further assignment until they come to some level of mastery of this Bible study tool.

Teach them how to pray

Alongside the ability to study the Bible, another essential skill is knowing how to pray. Since the Disciples asked Jesus how to pray, it is certainly appropriate for us to ask and learn! As can be seen from the Lord's Prayer, there are a variety of components to prayer. A good tool is the ACTS Format of Prayer. Again, ACTS is an acrostic for:

Adoration
Praise to the Lord for who He is (focus upon His nature).

Confession
Statement of Jesus as Lord of my life and asking for forgiveness of sin.

Thanksgiving
Praise to the Lord for what He has done(focus on His deeds).

Supplication

Intercession for my needs and the needs of others.

Learning how to pray after this manner would be a stretching experi­ence for any disciple. Again, request in your 1-to-i that they pray after this format three times per week for two weeks. Then after the sixth time, have them write out their reflections and thoughts after having prayed in this manner. It should lead to a good time of discussion on prayer. Don't presume that they will pray this way forever. But it is a great way to open them up to a greater prayer life. It could be an excellent idea to anchor in prayer by spending time together praying in your 1-to-I's. These in­structions coupled with your modeling prayer will greatly help a disciple communicate with the Lord Jesus.

Carefully assess personal needs

The first stage in ministry is knowing the needs. Here we tryto get in touch with the tensions in their life in order to assist you in knowing how to encourage them in spiritual growth. A helpful tool can be found in Appendix 13, Needs, Concerns and Problems. The sole purpose of this simple form is to gain an overview of the areas of concern in the disciple's life as they perceive theim

Mter you have taught them Bible study and prayer, take an hour or two with this sheet in hand and ask them to describe their life in the four areas requested on the sheet: Personal & Relational, Family, Academic and Spiritual Needs. Sometimes just helping the person to gain an overview of the tensions in their life can be a great moment of self discovery. From this perspective, you can then move toward addressing some specific areas of needed growth in the disciple.

Help them to set personal spiritual growth goals

See the Appendix 14, The ABC's of Ministry. This highlights a five stage process in personal ministry. Let's examine each stage, one point at a time.

Assess the Need

After having gone over the Needs, Concerns and Problems sheet with them, you then select one area. Usually it is best the first time, to allow the disciple to pick the area that they want to grow in. If they select it, they will probably bring some motivation to the task, thus increasing the chances for growth. Even if you discern that another area is more needy, it is still probably better for them to choose the first area. They will be more willing to tackle harder issues after they have learned to work with you.

Write out as clearly as possible the issue of need in the space provided, just so everyone has a clear understanding on the issue.

Build a Biblical Foundation

What does God's Word have to say about this issue? Often this is quite direct and to the point, while there are times when finding the counsel of God's Word is more difficult. Here the leader is modeling the use of the Bible as our guide for all faith and practice. Careful work here helps the disciple see that we are to live under the authority of God's truth rather than by any standards imposed by contemporary morality. In this space, write a summary statement of the counsel from the Word with several Scripture references listed.

Create Measureable Goals

From what the Bible instructs, what should the disciple trust the Lord to do in his or her life? It is important that goals be specific and measureable. Vague goals are quite frustrating and you are never sure if you are making any progress. State goals in terms of how much, when, how often, with whom, etc. Make the goals tangible but faith filled. Remember what we learned about goals and purposes. "A goal is a statement about how we hope things are going to be at some time in the future. It is a statement of faith. Notice that goals are not statements about what will be. That is in God's hands. But they are statements about what we believe God wants us to do or to be, in light of his word."

Develop a Plan of Action

Now take your goals and put them into a statement of strategy. Break it down into stages or steps. What will the disciple do first, then next, and then after that? If the final goal will take three months to accomplish, what will the disciple do in the first month, the second and the third? Be specific and clear.

Establish Proper Support

We were never intended to walk out our faith in Jesus alone, but Christ has placed us carefully into His Body. Therefore, we must be there for each other. Establish times for evaluation and adjustment. Encouragement will be very necessary. Sometimes you will need to be a little tough and demand that the disciple stay on target. Sometimes he may need you to forgive him for failing and be able to experience compassion first-hand. So check up regularly and commit yourself to see this through with the disciple.

Ministry Skills Should Be Transgenerational

We have said before that discipleship is a transgenerational process whereby the message and methods of the Kingdom of God impact the world. The skills used in this process need to be transgenerational as well. What is meant by transgenerational skills is that in teaching one disciple you need to use skills that they in turn can use to teach another later.

This is why the forms used in this lesson are simple. There is nothing special in the forms. This is deliberate. The forms could be easily reproduced on a napkin at your favorite pancake house restaurant. There is nothing sacred about the forms, they merely describe process in ministry.

It is cruel to teach someone, but withhold from them source for learning. Don't just tell someone to go from A to Z, but show them how to go from A to Z. In doing so they will some day take someone else from A to Z. Keep the first skills that you use simple and transgenerational. No doubt later on you will become much more sophisticated, but make sure they have something in their hand they can pass on to another.